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6

For strangers’ company they did care,
It could not be they had any fear
Of Habeas Corpus or King Lear,
For the comfort of Uncle Sam’s men,
They have studied since the war began.
Every real aristocracy,
Touch its power, then you’ll see
Them meet and conclave hold,
And show cousin Sam the power of gold;
For my part, I will leave them here,
Not that they had taken some scare,
That Habeas Corpus, an unruly man,
Might pick up such as he can
Devour or hold in durance vile,
They ever so innocent all the while;
I love the soldier, more the soldieress,
Had left one in Sumter in distress,
She had been a visit of a quarter year,
How to get home again had great fear,
So I took the Camden train
Instead of going to Aiken,
And on next train tried our fate,
To go to Florenze early or late,
The Genii gave me luck again,
There was no up Charleston train,
So the conductor granted us
On his ladies’ car to pass,
And then an vacant seat,
To get ease or warm our feet;
Of course we made very good time,
And bed at Florence after nine,